Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-12-22
CHAPTER XIV.
GINNING MEETS CrNSING


Before quitting Paris, Dick wrote perhaps
the first deliberate and cold-blooded lie of
his life. 1t was contained in a brief note to
Lydia that ran thus:
81 am Mortified to hear from Baudray of
the abduction of the Princess Natalie. What
does it means 1t is the most daring, and at
the same time dastardly and outrageous,
thing 1 have ever heard. 1 have written
my friend, Mr.. Fairfax, about it, and pre-
sumo my letter will reach him soon after his
arrival in America. I see, by the way, that
his name is in the list of passengers that
sailed from Havre, via the Vile de Lyons,
on the goth inst.-the very day before the
abduction.
'Poor Fairfax, I hope some day he may
attain his wish-to become a man of inf1u-
ence. His has been a peculiarly annoying
and trying career. / shall often think of
him far away in that quiet little village of
Drifton, in Pennsylvania Please God, we
shall have him here in a year or two again,
although he says not"
This depression in his letter upon the sub
ject of Fairfax, the unselfish Richard had
inserted to please his own within. The first
paragraph of the note was really Fairfax
own composition.
Oxford said he had observed his friends
name in the list of passengers who sailed
from Havre by the I" Vile de Lyons" ON the
Goth inst.
So, too, had Jean Louvait, the detective,
for that individual, failing tOk make any
Roadway in his efforts to convict Oxford
and the valet, had turned his attention to
Fairfax.
There it stood in clear black and white
"Arthur Fairfax, Drifton, Pennsylvania"
And, what is more, one of the wharf Off
Gals said he himself had seen Mr.. Fairfax
go on board at the last minute before the
steamers departure, and had observed him
on the vessels deck as it moved off.
(Here again the treless conspir4ines
forethought had planned to his gain. TAX
ing the utmost advantage of Mr.. Nebbitt's
offer of assistance, he had made arrange
ments by which one of the officers of the
"Namovna " secured passage to New York
from Havre, and registered as Mr.. Fairfax.
At New York the officer expected to meet
the yacht, day or two after his own ar
rival there).
Fooled again, Louvait now turned his at
tention to the discovery of the vessel by
which the conspirators had evidently
escaped. After numerous mistakes and the
pursuit of false clews, he at last hit upon
what he was convinced must be the right
one.
"In Mr.. Nebbitt's yacht, 'Namovna,'
have found it, quoth he to himself.
But, alas. for his pains, the 50 Namovna :"
after Fairfax's conversation with Nebbitt
had been ordered to steam direct for the
harbor of BreSt on the extreme northwest
ern coast of France. Leaving that port
with the publicly announced intention OF
sailing directly westward for New York,
she once again, when out of sight of Brest,
turned Numerically back upon her course
and sailed for the island on Chateau Neuf
whence-as we have read-she proceeded
- with the abducted Ulrl.
$50 can't prove it was the 'Namovna,' I"
unused Louvait, sadly, 's for there stands
the opposing proof that she was far at sea,
steaming to America, when the deed was
committed" FEX
He confessed himself defeated at all
points. His penetration and instinct had
shown him q plan by which he believed that
the Princess had been abducted. Yet, be-
cause this theory, when practically applied,
failed to work, he refused to reject it. He
only confessed that Fairfax had outwltted
hum at every step.
In q law-court it would be quite impossi-
BILE to prove any thing whatever against the
latter To convict the abductors was work
of time, Louvait saw. He must wait and
work IN silence. He declined to accept any
other theories preached with regard to the
famous case, being perfectly satisfied with
his own.
As soon as ne came TO the CONCLUSION tnas
it was useless to do any thing except watch
and wait, fearful lest any one-Leroi, Tor IN
etance-might anticipate him, he wrote
mote to the Minister of Police. Upon the ex-
terror was the direction:
!, ssNot to be opened until the abductors OF
the Princess Natalie shall have been capt
u:ed, being the theory of Jean Louvait as to
the abduction and the abductors."
Then followed the speculation. This, In
the main, SO well agreed with the reality OF
the case, that it could scarcely have been
more accurate had Louvait himself partict-
pated In the affair.
The document closed with this paragraph:
syhis is the theory and belief OF Jean